Intelligent Power Generation (IPG) has been awarded £1m from Highways England to develop a flameless ceramic turbine technology that could provide off-grid power for EV charging across the UK.
The investment forms part of Highways England and Innovate UK’s £20m ‘Innovation call’ project, which helps fund solutions to improve air quality and operation of England’s roads.
IPG said it will now demonstrate how its technology can bring EV charging to high-use and remote locations in the UK through grid-independent power generation.
The flameless ceramic turbine is a 100kW modular generator. Up to eight turbines can fit in a 20ft shipping container, forming a deployable power solution for EV charging companies.
According to IPG, this will enable EV charging solutions in locations that cannot acquire sufficient power from the National Grid.
Brian Cull, senior intelligent transport systems engineer, Highways England, said: “Grid access and capacity issues, as well as the infeasibility of on-site solar and wind, is a barrier for EV charging in many locations.
“Highways England is funding this project to assess how IPG’s turbine technology could present a solution for delivering power at a competitive cost while improving air quality, that would alleviate grid stress in high-use areas, as well as enabling remote locations to facilitate EV charging.”
The turbine uses flameless combustion, which, according to IPG, eliminates pollutant emissions such as NOx, CO, and PM and enables fuel flexibility crucial in creating demand for clean alternative fuels.
Figures released by IPG reportedly show the ceramic turbine can deliver 51% fuel efficiency and reduces fuel costs by up to 76%.
Toby Gill, CEO of IPG, said: “Not only can IPG’s technology deliver low-emission, pollutant-free energy on today’s cleaner fuels. It also enables EV charging service providers to transition to truly net-zero power, as biofuels and hydrogen become available, supporting the Ggovernment’s efforts to tackle climate change.”
